v. 14 cont’d – “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

Devotional:

Jude, having grown up in a Jewish household, was very educated in the values and traditions of the Jewish people. This quote from Enoch in verse 14 would have certainly been esteemed by many of those in the early church as meaningful because of who said it and when it was said. Enoch lived before the flood of Noah’s time and for his words to travel through oral tradition for thousands of years meant they were highly regarded. The point of quoting Enoch, however, is not to merit Enoch’s words as God-inspired but to draw attention to something Enoch knew. “Ungodly.” “Ungodliness.” “Ungodly way.” “Ungodly sinners.” These are the ways Enoch describes people who speak against God and defame His glorious name. God holds His name in the highest regard and this is really really good news.

What’s in a name? I have to believe it’s more than just letters or a helpful piece of language so we have something more eloquent than “Hey you!” to say to each other. Merriam-Webster says the essential meaning of a name is: a word or phrase constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing. 9 Interesting. Is it enough to say that a name is a group of letters that when spoken initiates the expectancy of a response from the individual being referenced? I’m not sure it is. I think names are more valuable than that. After all, your name carries with it your history, your natural identity, your heritage, your known mistakes, and your known triumphs. If your name comes up in a group of people who know you, each of them has a different thought that pops into their mind about who you are. Every name carries weight with it, so it is worth infinitely more than merely a verbal calling card.

The weightiest and most important name to ever cross humans’ imagination is “YHWH”. You see, God, in His name – Yahweh – has revealed His essence. YHWH is considered the most sacred name of God to the Israelites. The Hebrew letters are yodh, he, waw, and he. When those letters are placed together it forms what is known as the tetragrammaton and represents the name God gave Himself when speaking to Moses on Mt. Sinai in Exodus 3. 10 When it is spoken, an effect that is much like breathing happens in our lungs. His name is unlike any other name, and He is the only one who can handle the pressure of having such a name. He takes His name – and the significance of its meaning to us – very, very seriously, and this is good news because if at any point God held anything in higher regard

than His own name He would cease to be God. Something or someone else would be responsible for sustaining all created things, and no one can handle that eternal task except the ever- present, all-powerful YHWH God!

“To know God’s names is to experience His nature, and that level of intimacy is reserved for those who humbly depend on Him. God will not share His glory with another. We must humble ourselves if we really want to know Him. We must realize our insignificance before we can recognize the significance that comes only through Him. We are to hallow His name and His name alone. You can’t know His names until you forget your own.” – Tony Evans

REFLECTION:

What do you think your name means to others? To God? What is one of God’s names that you are focusing on or should be focusing on in this season of life?